Nippon TV goes live for FIM Endurance World Championship

Motor racing - 17 Aug 2018

Author: Simon Ward

Nippon TV, the Japanese multi-platform commercial broadcaster, is stepping up its coverage of motorcycling’s FIM Endurance World Championship by committing to show all five events live in the 2018-19 season.

The two-year deal with promoter Eurosport Events, the events arm of the pan-European sports broadcaster, builds on Nippon TV’s highlights coverage of the races in 2017-18.

Starting with the Bol d’Or at the Paul Ricard circuit in France next month, Nippon TV will provide full live coverage of the digital platform Hulu.

This will be supported by highlights of all races on the BS
Nippon TV channel and CS Nittele G+ channel, both of which will also show the
Suzuki 8 Hours, the fifth and final round of the season, held in Japan.

The agreement extends to the 2019-20 season, which will
include a race in the shape of the Sepang 8 Hours in Malaysia in December of
next year.

Nippon TV already shows live coverage of the MotoGP World Championship, and Japan is considered a key market for the Endurance World Championship, not least because of the participation of some of the country’s leading automotive manufacturers in Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki.

François Ribeiro, the head of Eurosport Events, said today: “When we took the decision two years ago to make the Suzuka 8 Hours the Grand Finale of the EWC, we were hoping it would raise the Japanese bike industry's interest in endurance and attract Japanese teams / riders into the World Championship. We are delighted to have Nippon TV on board up to the end of 2019-2020 season: their broadcast standards are the highest in Japan and they have the strongest bike racing community fan base thanks to long-time MotoGP coverage.”